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I like David James. It's too bad he's not been able to dump his moldy scab of a co-host. I actually think DJ has a good mix of a real passionate sports fan with a knack for objectivity, and in this market has been able to stay neutral in the BYU/Utah tug o' war.

I also like Hans Olsen. I was skeptical of him given his Y roots, but he really is a knowledgeable guy and a fun personality.

Also, I'll throw some props to Bolerjack. I think he's lost a step from his heyday at KSL and Sports Beat. But he really is a good talent and a pretty likeable guy. It's too bad he had to kiss so much BYU butt while at KSL.

Maybe this is my place to send some love to Hot Rod Hundley. He was a crazy drunk, but he was OUR crazy drunk. Following the Jazz just hasn't been the same with him gone.

I'm neutral on Spence Checketts, but I think he's trending the wrong way for me.

On the other end of the spectrum, PK is an absolute joke to the industry. I don't know how he hangs on.

I'm starting to sour on Monsen. I used to like him, but he just seems tired, and old, and cranky in the last few years. It's not that he hates the U or the Y, he just seems to be tired of the whole Utah market and everything in it. It's like he needs to move on for a fresh start, but he won't or can't. He just seems to have an utter disdain for the whole thing.

I think the best writer has been Doug Robinson of the Desnews. But I don't think he writes sports any longer, does he.

One thing I have learned in a long life: that all our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike -- and yet it is the most precious thing we have.

--Albert Einstein

The fact that life evolved out of nearly nothing, some 10 billion years after the universe evolved out of literally nothing, is a fact so staggering that I would be mad to attempt words to do it justice.

I like David James. It's too bad he's not been able to dump his moldy scab of a co-host. I actually think DJ has a good mix of a real passionate sports fan with a knack for objectivity, and in this market has been able to stay neutral in the BYU/Utah tug o' war.

I also like Hans Olsen. I was skeptical of him given his Y roots, but he really is a knowledgeable guy and a fun personality.

Also, I'll throw some props to Bolerjack. I think he's lost a step from his heyday at KSL and Sports Beat. But he really is a good talent and a pretty likeable guy. It's too bad he had to kiss so much BYU butt while at KSL.

Maybe this is my place to send some love to Hot Rod Hundley. He was a crazy drunk, but he was OUR crazy drunk. Following the Jazz just hasn't been the same with him gone.

I'm neutral on Spence Checketts, but I think he's trending the wrong way for me.

On the other end of the spectrum, PK is an absolute joke to the industry. I don't know how he hangs on.

I'm starting to sour on Monsen. I used to like him, but he just seems tired, and old, and cranky in the last few years. It's not that he hates the U or the Y, he just seems to be tired of the whole Utah market and everything in it. It's like he needs to move on for a fresh start, but he won't or can't. He just seems to have an utter disdain for the whole thing.

I agree with all that you said. Monson has become a joke. Hes about stirring the pot more than commenting on the news. Spence is ok sometimes. I REALLY miss the Bill and Spence show..........

Agree completely on DJ and PK. I havent listened to them in a while, I prefer Dan Patrick.

I'd say Drew has become a BYU fan if he wasn't one. I find his stuff to be almost like it was written by BYU's SID a lot

Well, if he wants to be kept in the good graces of those that release information, then his work over time will look more and more like the rest of the herd.

On the topic at hand, I listen to a lot of sports radio. During drive time, there is a lot out there. I wouldn't say much of it is good, but at least I can change the channel to something else if discussion of alien invaders, fishing stories, or soccer pop up. The best segments are interviews and any time Tony Jones or Dirk Facer are on. I don't read ANY of the local print media. I haven't for years. There is better information for the PAC12 blog, Utezone, and now UB5.

"You can do a lot in a lifetime, if you don't burn out too fast. You can make the most of the distance. First, you need endurance. First, you've got to last." - Neil Pert

Well, if he wants to be kept in the good graces of those that release information, then his work over time will look more and more like the rest of the herd.

On the topic at hand, I listen to a lot of sports radio. During drive time, there is a lot out there. I wouldn't say much of it is good, but at least I can change the channel to something else if discussion of alien invaders, fishing stories, or soccer pop up. The best segments are interviews and any time Tony Jones or Dirk Facer are on. I don't read ANY of the local print media. I haven't for years. There is better information for the PAC12 blog, Utezone, and now UB5.

I like how you hit all three stations with your examples there: 1320 KFAN (alien invaders) 1280 (fishing stories) or soccer (ESPN700)

For me, Gunther and Graham are the worst. Seriously, those guys have the class and maturity of a group of 8th graders in a burping contest. 1280 is dull. I stick with ESPN 700 almost all the time

I like how you hit all three stations with your examples there: 1320 KFAN (alien invaders) 1280 (fishing stories) or soccer (ESPN700)

For me, Gunther and Graham are the worst. Seriously, those guys have the class and maturity of a group of 8th graders in a burping contest. 1280 is dull. I stick with ESPN 700 almost all the time

Actually, if I think about it, I only listen to 1280 during lunch or the morning on my drive to work. If either is too annoying, I switch to X96. I never listen to Spence and Monsen. Mostly because Monsen has annoyed me for years, and Spencer comes across as a frat boy.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2

"You can do a lot in a lifetime, if you don't burn out too fast. You can make the most of the distance. First, you need endurance. First, you've got to last." - Neil Pert

One thing I've found, particularly having been in the business, there is no market that likes their sports station. Salt Lake City is incredibly unusual to have three sports stations for its size. Realistically it can't support all three without market ties. Jazz = 1280. RSL & Utes = 700 1320 will likely shrink and become irrelevant over the next few years not only because it has no flagship team but because it is the weakest of the signals.

Doing sports or talk radio is a thankless job on the local level. No one ever thinks you're saying enough good things about their team. Everyone thinks you're saying too many good things about the teams they don't like or don't care about. I think we sometimes underappreciate the number of choices for sports radio we have in the Salt Lake area.

One thing I've found, particularly having been in the business, there is no market that likes their sports station. Salt Lake City is incredibly unusual to have three sports stations for its size. Realistically it can't support all three without market ties. Jazz = 1280. RSL & Utes = 700 1320 will likely shrink and become irrelevant over the next few years not only because it has no flagship team but because it is the weakest of the signals.

Doing sports or talk radio is a thankless job on the local level. No one ever thinks you're saying enough good things about their team. Everyone thinks you're saying too many good things about the teams they don't like or don't care about. I think we sometimes underappreciate the number of choices for sports radio we have in the Salt Lake area.

The one thing that 1320 did that might keep them around for a while was scooping up Jim Rome when he switched to CBS and dropping their affiliation with yahoo sports radio, which has no big names. Otherwise, I dont think they have much of a future (for the reasons you mentioned and hte fact that Gunther and Graham is a niche show; its never going to be #1 because of the hosts.)

The one thing that 1320 did that might keep them around for a while was scooping up Jim Rome when he switched to CBS and dropping their affiliation with yahoo sports radio, which has no big names. Otherwise, I dont think they have much of a future (for the reasons you mentioned and hte fact that Gunther and Graham is a niche show; its never going to be #1 because of the hosts.)

I actually like Gunther and Graham. Let me rephrase that: I actually like Gunther.

Graham's not as bad as he was with Monson. If 1320 sticks around, I think it will be because of these two. When Reilly is stuck talking kicky-ball, G&G are a good alternative. If I want to get depressed, I'll flip over to Monsen.

I actually like Gunther and Graham. Let me rephrase that: I actually like Gunther.

Graham's not as bad as he was with Monson. If 1320 sticks around, I think it will be because of these two. When Reilly is stuck talking kicky-ball, G&G are a good alternative. If I want to get depressed, I'll flip over to Monsen.

Learn to embrace the "Kicky Ball", or as we like to say, Embrace the TiTS (Team is the Star). My opinion, is the more local radio the better. It used to be nice to have options in the morning for local radio. Now if one wants to listen to local sports, one has to listen to how wonderful BYU and the Jazz are, to hear the occasional Utah talk.

Learn to embrace the "Kicky Ball", or as we like to say, Embrace the TiTS (Team is the Star). My opinion, is the more local radio the better. It used to be nice to have options in the morning for local radio. Now if one wants to listen to local sports, one has to listen to how wonderful BYU and the Jazz are, to hear the occasional Utah talk.

I was a big fan of the "john and hans" show back in the day. lost interest in "hans and oc" (nothing against OC, just takes the right personality to team up with Hans). Since my only local option is DJ and PK, I completely ignore it. I listen to Dan Patrick in the morning, and thats it.

1280 the zone: WAY too much local talk. Yeah, its cool to claim that you are local all day, but there in a market of SLC size, there is only so much you can say. They end up rehashing the same things all day and quite frankly often end up trolling just to break up the monotony. If it was me, I'd put a national show from 1-3 instead of that Scotty G and whoever show. Orrrrrr they could keep it like it was when they originally started this venture in the summer: putting different things on 1280 and 97.5; some local, some national so that folks can choose.

1320 KFAN: I dont know quite frankly. Im just not a gunther type guy. He is a great listen for some folks, but not to me. Graham is just a negative troll. But at least he is an equal opportunity troll. He rides the waves of emotions. He is either out to get a reaction out of people by being too negative or he tries to be the good guy by throwing a tantrum about a team when things dont go right. I dont know what to say. To me, the programming sucks, the signal strength sucks, the website sucks. I don't see KFAN ever making it big and eventually fading away. So I lied, there is no suggestion here.

ESPN700 The middays are dreadfully boring on ESPN 700. Colin Cowherd is a buffoon and SVP and Russillo are boring to me. I like their morning and drive time stuff though. Bill and Hans and Dan Patrick are my favorite shows. If they could find a local show from 10-2, Id love it.

Well, since this thread, there has been some shakeup in the local radio scene.

-Kevin Graham has left the market for the third time. Hopefully this time for good. His replacement is Tim Montemayor, who came to us from the Bay Area. I can honestly say that I gave this show a try. I came in open minded, to see if they would be interesting. To me, it was nice to bring in an outsider as other stations through the years have more or less recycled the same people. As open minded as I could be, I lasted 15 minutes with this show and had to change the channel. This is a less-clever, less-interesting, more juvenile version of "DJ and PK". It is the exact same shtick. They go for reaction more than quality analysis. I followed them both on twitter and that first fifteen minutes of the show was no fluke, they are out to troll.

As I said earlier in this thread, I really don't see them making it in the long term. As long as 1280 is affiliated with the Jazz and 700 is affiliated with the Utes and RSL, there really is no big team to affiliate with. The signal strength is about as weak as can be. I don't even think Jim Rome can save them as his ratings drop more each year.

-700 has dropped the dull as can be "SVP and Russilo" and now broadcasts Mike and Mike from 4-8, Dan Patrick from 8-11 (on a 1 hour delay) and then Colin Cowherd from 11-2. I asked them why they don't have any more local programming and was told that they have to air a certain number of ESPN programming each day. Basically, they have to choose between Dan Patrick and a local morning show and have stuck with Dan. Can't say I blame them.

-1280 has stayed consistent (more or less) since the merger almost two years ago. DJ and PK is what it is. I like Jake and Tony at times, although there are times when both of them are clueless. Scotty G is absolutely un-listenable to me as he rolls through cliche after cliche. Spence and Gordon have grown on me, but there producer, austin horton, constantly interjects some of the dumbest comments and it really takes away from their show.

I still do not see any compelling reason to switch the dial away from ESPN 700, unless it is a trolling day for Colin.

-Kevin Graham has left the market for the third time. Hopefully this time for good. His replacement is Tim Montemayor, who came to us from the Bay Area. I can honestly say that I gave this show a try. I came in open minded, to see if they would be interesting. To me, it was nice to bring in an outsider as other stations through the years have more or less recycled the same people. As open minded as I could be, I lasted 15 minutes with this show and had to change the channel. This is a less-clever, less-interesting, more juvenile version of "DJ and PK". It is the exact same shtick. They go for reaction more than quality analysis. I followed them both on twitter and that first fifteen minutes of the show was no fluke, they are out to troll.

As I said earlier in this thread, I really don't see them making it in the long term. As long as 1280 is affiliated with the Jazz and 700 is affiliated with the Utes and RSL, there really is no big team to affiliate with. The signal strength is about as weak as can be. I don't even think Jim Rome can save them as his ratings drop more each year.

They claim themselves as the number 1 afternoon sports station in the market. Not sure what the criteria is, but that is what they claim. I really like how much football talk they have as I don't care for basketball. Not a huge Monty fan, but I could listen to Gunther all day. When he is not goofying off he really has some good insight on football.

-700 has dropped the dull as can be "SVP and Russilo" and now broadcasts Mike and Mike from 4-8, Dan Patrick from 8-11 (on a 1 hour delay) and then Colin Cowherd from 11-2. I asked them why they don't have any more local programming and was told that they have to air a certain number of ESPN programming each day. Basically, they have to choose between Dan Patrick and a local morning show and have stuck with Dan. Can't say I blame them.

Definitely the most professional sports station. I like Bill and Hans. Bill is the constant professional, while Hans brings the sports insider prospective. I enjoy listening during football season.

-1280 has stayed consistent (more or less) since the merger almost two years ago. DJ and PK is what it is. I like Jake and Tony at times, although there are times when both of them are clueless. Scotty G is absolutely un-listenable to me as he rolls through cliche after cliche. Spence and Gordon have grown on me, but there producer, austin horton, constantly interjects some of the dumbest comments and it really takes away from their show.

Haven't listen to the morning or afternoon clowns in quite some time. I don't mind Jake and Tony but I generally don't listen to sports radio at that time of day.

Also, I just checked the Nielson numbers and both 700 and 1280 have a .9 share, while 1320 had a .5 share of the market. All three are pretty far down the line in market share from the other news and music stations.

Well, since this thread, there has been some shakeup in the local radio scene.

-Kevin Graham has left the market for the third time. Hopefully this time for good. His replacement is Tim Montemayor, who came to us from the Bay Area. I can honestly say that I gave this show a try. I came in open minded, to see if they would be interesting. To me, it was nice to bring in an outsider as other stations through the years have more or less recycled the same people. As open minded as I could be, I lasted 15 minutes with this show and had to change the channel. This is a less-clever, less-interesting, more juvenile version of "DJ and PK". It is the exact same shtick. They go for reaction more than quality analysis. I followed them both on twitter and that first fifteen minutes of the show was no fluke, they are out to troll.

As I said earlier in this thread, I really don't see them making it in the long term. As long as 1280 is affiliated with the Jazz and 700 is affiliated with the Utes and RSL, there really is no big team to affiliate with. The signal strength is about as weak as can be. I don't even think Jim Rome can save them as his ratings drop more each year.

-700 has dropped the dull as can be "SVP and Russilo" and now broadcasts Mike and Mike from 4-8, Dan Patrick from 8-11 (on a 1 hour delay) and then Colin Cowherd from 11-2. I asked them why they don't have any more local programming and was told that they have to air a certain number of ESPN programming each day. Basically, they have to choose between Dan Patrick and a local morning show and have stuck with Dan. Can't say I blame them.

-1280 has stayed consistent (more or less) since the merger almost two years ago. DJ and PK is what it is. I like Jake and Tony at times, although there are times when both of them are clueless. Scotty G is absolutely un-listenable to me as he rolls through cliche after cliche. Spence and Gordon have grown on me, but there producer, austin horton, constantly interjects some of the dumbest comments and it really takes away from their show.

I still do not see any compelling reason to switch the dial away from ESPN 700, unless it is a trolling day for Colin.

Thoughts?

Dan Patrick, as part of the Premiere Radio Networks, isn't mandated programming for any ESPN Radio affiliate, but Mike and Mike is. And I'm not sure you want to go local from 8-11. Also, Colin Cowherd is on a three-hour delay in SLC, as I get Colin right after Mike and Mike at 8 here in Twin Falls.

SLC is a very interesting dynamic for STR. It's really too small of a market for three such stations, and one of the big players in town (BYU) is unaffiliated with STR. Additionally, KSL ad rates on BYU sports are what you'd expect -- pretty doggone expensive and cost-prohibitive for a lot of small businesses. But stations like 1280 and 1320 can tap into that void, create BYU-friendly segments and pull enough advertisers to remain viable. Many here will not like what I'm saying here, but as long as there are three STR stations in SLC (and BYU athletics remain on a non-STR station), the driving force behind all of them will be to capture the BYU fan. Even 700 -- HOTRU -- knows this and has BYU figures on periodically, not to mention hiring a former BYU player to co-host their one local show.

Dan Patrick, as part of the Premiere Radio Networks, isn't mandated programming for any ESPN Radio affiliate, but Mike and Mike is. And I'm not sure you want to go local from 8-11. Also, Colin Cowherd is on a three-hour delay in SLC, as I get Colin right after Mike and Mike at 8 here in Twin Falls.

SLC is a very interesting dynamic for STR. It's really too small of a market for three such stations, and one of the big players in town (BYU) is unaffiliated with STR. Additionally, KSL ad rates on BYU sports are what you'd expect -- pretty doggone expensive and cost-prohibitive for a lot of small businesses. But stations like 1280 and 1320 can tap into that void, create BYU-friendly segments and pull enough advertisers to remain viable. Many here will not like what I'm saying here, but as long as there are three STR stations in SLC (and BYU athletics remain on a non-STR station), the driving force behind all of them will be to capture the BYU fan. Even 700 -- HOTRU -- knows this and has BYU figures on periodically, not to mention hiring a former BYU player to co-host their one local show.

I haven't listened to much talk radio the last couple of months, but it really feels like Guther and Monty are going hard after the BYU fan.

Well they must be doing something right because they are now starting a morning show with Monty and leaving Gunther in the afternoons. Expansion is generally a positive sign.

Yup. And that's on Ute fans. Gunther always talks about how when he tweets about cougar stuff, he gets 20 tweets back. When he tweets about Utah stuff, he gets maybe one back. When he talks cougar sports, the phone lines light up. When he talks Utah...nothing.

I'm not saying it's good or bad, some of us have more to do than tweet/call radio stations. BUT, we can't complain that there is never Ute talk anywhere and it's always BYU talk.

Yup. And that's on Ute fans. Gunther always talks about how when he tweets about cougar stuff, he gets 20 tweets back. When he tweets about Utah stuff, he gets maybe one back. When he talks cougar sports, the phone lines light up. When he talks Utah...nothing.

I'm not saying it's good or bad, some of us have more to do than tweet/call radio stations. BUT, we can't complain that there is never Ute talk anywhere and it's always BYU talk.

I think a good chunk of our fanbase would rate as "enthusiastic" Ute fans. They'll watch the games, they'll buy the tickets, they'll travel well, they'll buy merchandise and they're a little more patient than most -- present company on this board excluded. But we're far from being "rabid" and that extends to absorbing everything about the sport. They'll listen to games on radio (ours don't) and call in to STR shows (Gunther gives the best example that ours don't). We're a far more valuable television property in Utah than radio, and that'll probably be that way for some time.

I think a good chunk of our fanbase would rate as "enthusiastic" Ute fans. They'll watch the games, they'll buy the tickets, they'll travel well, they'll buy merchandise and they're a little more patient than most -- present company on this board excluded. But we're far from being "rabid" and that extends to absorbing everything about the sport. They'll listen to games on radio (ours don't) and call in to STR shows (Gunther gives the best example that ours don't). We're a far more valuable television property in Utah than radio, and that'll probably be that way for some time.

The advantage BYU has is a fan base that sees BYU athletics as an extension of their religion, in a way that no other religious school does. Most other sports fans -- like Utah fans -- just enjoy cheering for their beloved teams. I'm not saying this to mock BYU fans; it's just a reality, and in its own way it is an advantage for BYU that offsets some of the disadvantages of being a church school.

Last edited by LA Ute; 02-25-2014 at 10:38 AM.

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats

“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

so wilson gets approved for Non-contact spring ball and the two idiots DJ and PK would rather continue to flirt with each other and talk about themselves or byu's impressive schedule next year. Then they got all giddy when the news of jimmer getting bought out. And still no travis wilson talk. REALLY???

The advantage BYU has is a fan base that sees BYU athletics as an extension of their religion, in a way that no other religious school does. Most other sports fans -- like Utah fans -- just enjoy cheering for their beloved teams. I'm not saying this to mock BYU fans; it's just a reality, and in its own way it is an advantage for BYU that offsets some of the disadvantages of being a church school.

Nailed it.

I also think that part of it is we see how some BYU fans make fools of themselves, and I know I just don't want to come off looking like that.

I begin my tale with this story by Brad Rock, comparing Kodiak's statement that Utah plans to win the PAC-12 tournament to Bronco Mendenhall's statement that BYU planned to win a national championship.

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I really can't tell which of the 12 standards I violated. Any ideas? Anyway, I took a breath and submitted a much more milquetoast version:

Seems to me that Coach Krystkowiak's and Coach Mendenhall's comments are like apples and oranges -- the context for each was completely different. The comparison seems very strained. I don't understand why some in the Salt Lake media seem continually to look for reasons to compare various aspects of Utah athletics with BYU athletics.

This comment was accepted. Rock's article was still a weird mash of ideas the like of which I doubt I'd see in any other sports media market.

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats

“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

I begin my tale with this story by Brad Rock, comparing Kodiak's statement that Utah plans to win the PAC-12 tournament to Bronco Mendenhall's statement that BYU planned to win a national championship.